Ravitch and the Common Core

Anusasananan, Chalida

CA

Strauss, V. (2014, January 18). Everything you need to know about the Common 
     Core--Ravitch. Retrieved February 17, 2014, from 
     http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/01/18/      everything-you-need-to-know-about-common-core-ravitch/ 

Diane Ravitch contextualizes the origins of the Common Core standards and discusses her major objections to them which include: 1) they were not created by educators but rather the testing industry, 2) they were not field-tested to see if the standards widened the achievement gap; in fact, only 30% of students pass and 3) they are not malleable; there is no way for educators to adjust the standards and no revision committee.  Ravitch is well-versed in education and this speech is even a turn from her book The Death and Life of the Great American School System (2011).  

While the Common Core is the reality now in public schools, Ravitch reminds us how they are flawed and gives us fodder for thought in this testing-crazed world.  For librarians, her speech is a push for us to offer and advocated for authentic research opportunities and real learning experiences to young people.